The church is a body

The church is a body.
May this body breathe and be together in the spirit of hope
May it feel held by comfort.
Those who seek consolation, may they find it in the solace of this moment.

The church is a body.
It is as strong as all the people who have ever gathered within its walls.
It is the power of all they dreamed and all that they have done.

The church is a body.
It is as vulnerable as the most newborn and untried of its members.
It is ancient, and it is ever new.

The church is a story.
It is the story of lives that are interwoven,
brought together in this place and this time
for the simple purpose of caring for one another,
and helping one another along the arduous path from birth to death.

The church is a vision.
It is a vision of unity amid diversity,
It is a vision of reverence for all of creation,
It is a vision that beckons us beyond the concerns of our own skins.

In the silence, may we abide as one body in the spirit of faith, hope and love that is the story and the vision of this church.